People

June Pachuta Farris was valued and recognized by scholars and librarians throughout the world for her expertise as a bibliographer in Slavic and East European Studies and for the generosity she demonstrated throughout her decades of service to the profession. She died on July 27 after a short illness at age 70.

June Pachuta Farris(Photo by John Zich)

June served the University of Chicago for more than three decades, most recently holding the title of Bibliographer for Slavic and East European Studies and General Linguistics. “We are deeply saddened by June’s passing,” said Brenda Johnson, Library Director and University Librarian at the University of Chicago. “June was a dedicated librarian who built one of the finest Slavic and East European Studies collections in the world. She was a wonderful colleague, both to us at Chicago and to the Slavic librarian community.”

In 2012, the Association for Women in Slavic Studies (AWSS), an affiliate of the Association for Slavic, East European & Eurasian Studies (ASEEES), recognized June with its Outstanding Achievement Award. “The entire profession has been enriched by June’s unassuming yet dedicated commitment to helping scholars wherever they work—whether formally, through her many published bibliographies on subjects as diverse as Dostoevsky and Czech and Slovak émigrés, or informally through her willingness to respond to countless queries from individuals,” the Association noted. June was widely known for her quarterly and annual “Current Bibliography on Women and Gender in Russia and Eastern Europe,” which began appearing in the AWSS newsletter in 1999. She also collaborated with Irina Livezeanu, Christine Worobec, and Mary Zirin, on a two-volume publication, Women and Gender in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Eurasia: A Comprehensive Bibliography (2007), considered an invaluable resource in the field. Earlier this year, June learned that she is to be further recognized by the ASEEES at its December meeting as the 2018 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from its Committee on Libraries and Information Resources.

June earned a BA in Russian and French from Case Western Reserve University; an MA in Russian Language and Literature from Ohio State University, writing a thesis on “The Concepts of Metaphysical Rebellion and Freedom in Dostoevsky and Camus,” and an MA in Library Science from University of Denver. She served as Slavic Reference Librarian and Assistant Professor of Library Administration at the University of Illinois, before coming to Chicago in 1986.

June spoke French, Russian, and Czech fluently and was conversant with most Slavic languages as well as Greek. She also had a great love of musical theater and had memorized all the lyrics to a large number of shows, both old and new.

Sandra Levy, Associate Slavic Librarian, who worked closely with June for the 28 years since she was hired at Chicago in 1989, first met June even earlier, in the 1970s, when Sandra was a graduate student visiting the University of Illinois, where June was beginning her library career. June began answering reference questions and mentoring Sandra even then. “It’s who she was,” Sandra said. “It wasn’t just that she was a mentor to me—she was a mentor to everyone.” Sandra has received an outpouring of tributes from Slavic librarians who shared this experience: “June would tackle each and every reference question as if it were the most important question in the world.”

Colleagues are invited to send tributes and stories about June and her impact to junefarrismemories@lib.uchicago.edu. These will be collected, shared with June’s family, and deposited in the University Archives.

Cecilia Smith joined the Library as the GIS and Maps Librarian. Cecilia comes to the University of Chicago from Texas A&M University where she was the Geospatial Librarian, Clinical Assistant Professor at the Evans Library. At Evans Library, Cecilia developed the GIS program, including services, spaces, and support.

Cecilia Smith, GIS and Maps Librarian

Cecilia has an M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, an M.S. in GIS and Spatial Analysis in Archaeology, with honors, from the University College London and a B.A in Archaeology, Boston University.

Barbara Kern interviewed Cecilia to find out how she plans to work with faculty and students, and what she sees as emerging trends in GIS and Map Libraries.

A: I became interested in maps when I realized how powerful they are—a map can show the shifting boundaries of the Roman Empire, explain the progression of a cholera outbreak, or get you safely home from your hike. They give you the ability to see the world and manage to do it using a single piece of paper.

Q: What originally got you interested in GIS?

A: I learned about geographic information systems (GIS) as an undergraduate researching the development of Mediterranean residences of the Bronze Age. It was a challenge to organize the many variables related to the structures’ location, orientation, and layout. GIS solved my need for a geographic database, and turned out to be so much more. I quickly developed an interest in using the technology to help with spatial analyses and to create visualizations of research results.

Q: How have you worked with faculty at Texas A&M?

A: I worked with faculty at Texas A&M in three ways: collaborating on research, providing consultation on GIS related projects, and sharing resource information with their classes. The Early Modern Shipwreck project (http://modernshipwrecks.com/) is a good example of one of my collaborations with faculty in which I provided geospatial expertise.

Q: How will you work with faculty and students in your role?

A: I will focus on providing services and resources that enable faculty and students to discover, explore, visualize, and curate geospatial information. Geospatial information can take different forms, such as traditional paper maps or GIS files. I will offer consultations and workshops on how to work with different data types.

Q: If you could summarize your PhD research in a few sentences, what would you say?

A: My PhD research focused on changes to indigenous Philippine economies during Spanish colonization. I used GIS technology to analyze archaeological survey and excavation data in the Bacong Municipality of Negros Oriental. I found that the rugged geography of the study area significantly contributed to the indigenous populations’ ability to thrive while Spanish forces focused their resources on more accessible ports.

Q: You previously lived in Chicago. What do you enjoy most about the city?

A: It’s hard to choose just one thing! I love the great food and the lakefront. One of my favorite places is the Lincoln Park Conservatory. I was also a researcher at the Field Museum, so Museum Campus is a favorite, too.

D’Angelo Law librarians Todd Ito and Scott Vanderlin received the Innovation Tournament Award and a monetary prize on July 17 from the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). The prize will support the development of a tool that will make research on statutory law more efficient.

The proposed tool, SuperSeed, will address a challenge for legal researchers reviewing court opinions or other legal sources. Currently, legal research platforms provide links to the most recent text of a statute rather than the version relied upon by a court. SuperSeed will alert the researcher to amendments in statutory law and provide a link to the version of a statute discussed at the time a case was decided. This innovative tool will eliminate the cumbersome process now necessary for lawyers and law students to locate the correct version of a statute referenced in a court opinion.

Todd, Head of Instruction and Outreach, and Scott, Student Services Librarian, won the AALL Innovation Tournament at the Association’s annual meeting and conference, which brings together law librarians from academic, private, and government institutions nationwide. Their project proposal was chosen for the award by an overwhelming vote of librarians in the audience at the event. The AALL Innovation Tournament Award includes a monetary prize of $2500, which will be used to develop SuperSeed.

Todd and Scott created the concept for SuperSeed with D’Angelo colleague and Data and Scholarship Librarian Thomas Drueke. Congratulations to these talented law librarians on this award and AALL’s recognition of their creativity and innovative project!

As the year winds to a close, we thought it was time to give the people the interview they’ve been clamoring for, so here it is. You’ve seen him at the reference desk, he’s taught you how to do legal research, and now you can read all about what makes him tick. Ladies and gentlemen–Todd Ito, Head of Instruction and Outreach.

How long have you been at the D’Angelo Law Library?

I started here back in October of 2006. I moved to Chicago from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it snowed the day I moved in. Everyone kept asking me if I was ready for winter, to the point that it kind of freaked me out.

In the time you’ve worked in the law library, what is the most memorable event you’ve attended?

I would say the time President Obama came to the Law School, but they wouldn’t let staff come to work that day (for security reasons), which was a bummer, so I can’t say I attended that. I’m pretty sure I saw his helicopter fly by my apartment on the way to the airport later that day, though.

What activities consume most of your time as a law librarian?

As my title (Head of Instruction and Outreach) indicates, I’m primarily responsible for coordinating the instruction provided by the D’Angelo librarians through the Bigelow program, the Advanced Legal Research course I teach, and other instructional sessions like the Prepare to Practice program coming up on May 8. I also help manage the Library’s outreach to the Law School clinics, the student-edited journals, and other student organizations. Beyond that, I am the main editor for the Law Library website, so if anyone has any feedback on the website, please let us know!

What upcoming changes to the D’Angelo Law Library are you most excited about?

I heard there are some video tutorials in the works and that Thomas Drueke is going to do the narrating. That’s pretty exciting.

What are some of your interests outside of law libraries?

I’m kind of a music guy, as a fan rather than as musician, so I like to go to shows and buy records and stuff. In addition to music, I listen to lot of podcasts, read various things, and hit the occasional lecture or reading.

I’m also a sports fan, but my interest is deep rather than wide, meaning that I know a lot about UNC basketball and Everton Football Club and next to nothing about what’s currently going on with baseball, hockey, the NFL, etc. Since the U.S. failed to qualify, I’ve been trying to learn more about the Japanese national team heading into the World Cup. I’m hoping my new favorite player Tatsuya Ito (Hamburger SV) makes the squad!

I watched this amazing Japanese movie called Kapone ōi ni naku (translated into English as Capone Cries in his Sleep or Capone Cries a Lot) at Doc Films back in March. It’s directed by Seijun Suzuki, the maverick director probably best known for the 1967 yakuza film Branded to Kill. To use some American reference points, it’s like a bizarre cross between Harmony Korine and Quentin Tarantino (two filmmakers he influenced), if you can imagine that. It’s a delightfully odd movie, but also has some profound things to say about race, gender, immigration, music, and art.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Fly Anakin and Koncept Jack$on, two rappers from Richmond, VA, which is close-ish to where I grew up. You could call it throwback 90s hip-hop, but I think they have a unique sound that takes it well beyond mere revivalism. One of my other favorite recent discoveries is this Brazilian group Metá Metá, which iTunes classifies as Alternative, Jazz, or Afro Punk, none of which really captures their sound. They prefer the phrase “samba sujo” (“dirty samba”), so let’s go with that.

Drank? I was lucky enough to get some Toppling Goliath King Sue when I was in Minnesota a while back, and I think it’s the best double IPA I’ve ever had. For more everyday drinking, I’ve been really enjoying Cozmo, a pale ale from Noon Whistle Brewing, out in Lombard. At 5% ABV, it’s perfect for an after work beer or while watching sports on the weekend.

If you spend any amount of time in the D’Angelo Law Library, chances are good that you have been greeted by a warm smile from one of our longest-tenured librarians–Lyonette “Lyo” Louis-Jacques. Scott Vanderlin took a moment to interview Lyo to find out about her life, career, and some of her fondest memories from her time here at UChicago.

Lyo at the Hockey Hall of Fame

How long have you been at the D’Angelo Law Library?

Since August 1992 (almost 25 years?!).

What is your subject specialty, and what activities consume most of your time as a law librarian?

I’m the specialist for civil/non-common law, comparative law, and international law questions. I also help with human rights and international relations research.

And, as a law librarian, I’m busiest helping with reference questions, which I love doing! Keep on asking me questions, y’all! 🙂

What are the biggest changes in the D’Angelo Law Library you’ve noticed over the years?

The biggest change is the space. I love how the reading room has these majestic stairs you can climb up to now. And every time I’m at the law library reference desk, I imagine the space being used to put on plays and musicals. Romeo and Juliet? (we have a balcony). Beauty and the Beast? (Belle comes down the stairs and then dances with the Beast).

In the time you’ve worked in the law library, what is the most memorable event you’ve attended?

I’ve been here a while, so a lot of memorable events! 🙂 But generally, the Law School musicals. I like seeing the students play faculty members! 🙂 Cracks me up. And most recently, the “Law School Attempts Talent” show. There was singing, dancing, instrument-playing. I think a spoken word poem? And lots of teasing and laughing. Loved it!

What are some of your interests outside of law libraries?

They’ve changed over time. I used to write crossword puzzles and collect romance and mystery novels, read a lot, and watch lots of sports (all of them, except fishing). Now I mostly read Twitter (y’all follow @jonnysun, @sheaserrno, and @lin_manuel – they are amazing!). And watch sports. I’ve enjoyed watching March Madness recently, even though my brackets for the men’s and women’s tournaments were all busted.

What’s the best thing you read, watched, or listened to recently?

The best thing because I’m a bit of a fanatic about it is Hamilton: The Musical. I have seen it on Broadway, Chicago, San Francisco, and London. It’s like following a band… 🙂 Looking at what city I want to go see it in next. And I’m getting into other musicals – so far, I’ve seen Rent and Wicked. I am hooked! And Dear Evan Hansen is coming to Chicago in 2019!

Raymond Gadke provided scholarly resources to four decades of researchers and mentorship to generations of College students at the University of Chicago. He died this week at age 74.

Raymond Gadke, 1943-2018. Inspired by a fondness for Elvis Presley’s garb in “Blue Hawaii,” Ray made Hawaiian shirts his regular uniform, and librarians directed patrons needing help with microfilms to find him based on his signature look. (Photo by John Zich)

Ray came to the University of Chicago as a master’s student in the Division of the Humanities with a strong interest in history, conducting research on the Catholic Church, completing his AM in 1966 and joining the Library staff in 1969. His early interests, wide-ranging intellectual curiosity, giving nature, and close relationships with researchers and students were the hallmarks of his life and career at the University of Chicago.

Anyone who has frequented the microforms department in Regenstein Library since it opened in 1971 would recognize Ray, who began by overseeing this collection. Over the years, his responsibilities expanded to include the management of periodicals and, ultimately, all of the Regenstein reading room collections.

“He was an unfailingly friendly, unfailingly helpful face in the Library, known to thousands of people who walked through the doors—a bit of constancy in a sea of change,” said David Bottorff, Head of Collection Management and Circulation. “He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the microfilm collection that is not replaceable.”

Ray used that knowledge to help researchers find the particular piece of microfilm they were looking for, getting to know the visitors who returned regularly, where they came from, and what they needed. He also became a mentor to scores of students who worked for him over more than 40 years at the Library. In recognition of the important role he played in their lives, more than 50 UChicago alumni raised $75,000 in 2015 to create the Ray Gadke Internship Fund Established by Friends of Ray to Endow Undergraduate Internships.

Outside the Library, Ray frequently gave tours on campus, sharing his knowledge of the architecture, and he was widely known for his personal collection of religious statues, which started in the 1980s when Catholic priests who knew him from his graduate school research began giving him items from churches that were closing. The collection rotated, as he gave items from his collection to other Catholic churches and schools as new ones came in.

Within the Library, Ray was known for organizing staff donations to the Hyde Park and Kenwood Hunger Programs, collected at the annual holiday party in December.

He also donated rarely held religious studies materials and funds to the Library. David Larsen, Director of Access Services and Assessment, recalls a period when Ray would regularly come to the Library with liturgical works relating to obscure monastic communities in the Midwest.

“Ray was a wonderful University and Library citizen,” said Brenda Johnson, Library Director and University Librarian. “In memory of his parents, Ray generously established the Elden and Ruth Lauffenburger Gadke Endowment Fund to acquire, preserve, and provide access to books and other scholarly resources in religious studies. The fund will now become a lasting symbol of Ray’s kindness and of his deep commitment to religious studies. His good cheer, deep institutional knowledge, and longstanding commitment to students, researchers, library colleagues, and the greater community will be greatly missed.”

James Nye, Bibliographer for Southern Asia at the University of Chicago Library, has received a 2018 fellowship under the Fulbright Specialist Program. He was matched with the Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya in Lalitpur, Nepal for developing library and archive resources in the Nepali language. Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya, founded in 1955, is the world’s largest collection of Nepali books and periodicals.

During his fellowship, Nye will join in a survey of Nepali collections in the Kathmandu Valley, Palpa, and Lumbini, many of which were severely damaged in the 2015 earthquakes and are still out of service. He will also deliver a public lecture on the history of the book in Nepal, conduct a workshop for professionals on metadata for libraries and archives, engage in an academic roundtable discussion on archives in North America and Europe with holdings on Nepali, and assist colleagues at the Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya as they develop a collection development statement and plan for their collection.

The University of Chicago Library holds one of the largest collections of Nepali publications in North America with special strengths in publications from 1960 through the present.

If you study in the library during the evening, you may have seen a new face at the circulation desk. Ian Williams joined the D’Angelo Law Library at the beginning of January as our new Access Services Assistant. Scott Vanderlin, Student Services Librarian, interviewed Ian to find out how he found his way to the library world and what keeps him busy when he’s not at work.

What has been the biggest difference you’ve noticed between libraries you’ve previously worked at and D’Angelo?

The D’Angelo Law Library is very committed to providing a comprehensive experience for students. D’Angelo supports students in their academic careers with instruction, remote reference, and paging and ILL services, while also providing great spaces and materials for students to relax and take needed breaks from studying. Because of that, I think D’Angelo feels like the best parts of an academic library and a public library merged together.

What originally got you interested in libraries?

When I was young, my parents worked long hours and were unable to pick up my sister and me after school. The local public library was a safe place for us to work on assignments and socialize with friends. Because of that experience, I’ve always viewed libraries as an important part of strong communities and later decided that I wanted to be a part of that experience for new generations of library users.

What are some of your interests outside of work?

I enjoy exploring the city, sightseeing and finding new restaurants or interesting places to visit. I have an affinity for libraries and museums and want to see every new exhibit that I can. I also enjoy spending my time reading during my daily commutes.

What’s the best thing you read, watched, or listened to recently?

Read: A collection of short stories by Josh Weil titled The Age of Perpetual Light. Weil’s prose is so detailed, and his storytelling is so compact that each story feels like its own novel. Though all are fiction, each story made me reflect on aspects of history, society, and modern living.

Listened to: The podcast series More Perfect about interesting cases handled by the U.S. Supreme Court. Every case is fascinating and leaves me questioning whether I agree with the court’s decision and how I would have voted if I were a Supreme Court justice.

Darrin Rosenthal joined the D’Angelo Law Library in October as our new Head of Access Services in October. Scott Vanderlin, Student Services Librarian, interviewed Darrin to find out how he found his way to the library world and what keeps him busy when he’s not at work.

What were you doing prior to coming to the D’Angelo Law Library?

Prior to coming to D’Angelo, I worked in a similar position at SSA Library, another (much smaller) library on campus.

What originally got you interested in libraries?

Libraries are repositories of knowledge, and I love to learn. For this reason, I started working in a library while in college, and with few exceptions, have been working in one ever since.

What are some of your interests outside of work?

I enjoy spending time outdoors, especially hiking and camping; I love seeing live music acts; and I’m a bit of a coffee snob. More than anything, I love hanging out with my wife and 10 month old daughter (and our sweet but poorly behaved pit bull mix, Donnie).

What’s the best thing you read, watched, or listened to recently?

Read: I just finished a biography of Richard Nixon by Stephen Ambrose–highly recommended, especially for any aspiring constitutional scholars or anyone interested in contemporary American politics.

Watched and listened to: Hamilton. I saw it for the first time over a year ago and listen to the soundtrack nearly every day.